Chapter 15

Lin Youde and Peng Zhicheng stood side by side outside the eastern gate of Dingyuan Fort, where the "casualties" of the穿越者 (穿越者 refers to the time travelers or settlers from the future) were the greatest last night. The German mercenary Dennis Helwig from Switzerland was killed, and Christoph Grot was lightly wounded. In fact, these were the only casualties for the time travelers throughout the night.

The Indians attacked in the darkness and retreated in the darkness. No one knew their numbers, but from the 15 bodies left on the scene that they had not managed to take away, it was estimated that their numbers were not large, roughly comparable to the time travelers.

The dozens of fire basins placed on the open ground outside the fort had been almost completely destroyed by the Indians, and there were still some bloodstains on the ground, which were quite glaring.

"How is everyone's morale?" Peng Zhicheng asked. He had arrived with the supply convoy this morning and happened to encounter the Indian attack.

"Still okay," Lin Youde replied. "It's the first time everyone has encountered such a situation, so some panic is inevitable. But after all, there were no major casualties, just one death and one injury among the new immigrants. However, we were a bit too complacent and did not have a contingency plan for such an attack. Many people panicked last night, causing unnecessary chaos. As the deputy team leader in charge of security, I bear inescapable responsibility."

Peng Zhicheng patted Lin Youde's shoulder to comfort him. He was not there to hold him accountable, and the Executive Committee currently had no complete accountability mechanism. Although Lin Youde had made a small mistake, he had stabilized the situation, and the Executive Committee would likely let him stay.

"The construction progress of Dingyuan Fort is not slow," Peng Zhicheng changed the subject, looking at the brick and tile factory, dormitories, and toilets that had already been built nearby.

Lin Youde smiled. "As long as the manpower and materials are resolved, the progress can be accelerated."

Peng Zhicheng smiled but did not respond. Manpower and materials were not easy to come by. Where was there no shortage of manpower, and where was there no shortage of materials? "What is the current daily fishing volume?"

"Basically stable at over 3,000 pounds," Lin Youde said. "Now the processing capacity for fish products is limited, so there's no place to store more."

"Hehe, not bad," Peng Zhicheng said with a smile. "Every day, over a thousand pounds of fish are transported back from Dingyuan Fort, not only supplementing everyone's nutrition but also saving a lot of grain for the Executive Committee. Everyone knows the contributions of the Dingyuan Fort team. Alright, I'll head back now. The events of last night must be reported to the Executive Committee as soon as possible." He patted Lin Youde's shoulder again. "Xiao's work is almost done, and the Executive Committee's intention is for him to come here to take charge. He will probably arrive in a few days. So, don't worry!"

Lin Youde nodded silently.

The convoy transporting materials and supplies set sail, taking away 1,500 pounds of fish, as well as the wounded and the bodies from last night's battle.

After the events of last night, all the team members of the Dingyuan Fort team felt a sense of crisis. Therefore, at Lin Youde's suggestion, the construction team paused their work and began digging trenches around the fort. The trenches would be filled with water from Big Fish Lake, significantly enhancing the fort's security. Meanwhile, the eastern gate, which had been left open for easy entry and exit and for transporting supplies, was completely blocked. The events of last night were still fresh in everyone's minds, and the time travelers did not want to create trouble for themselves.

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The meeting room was filled with smoke. Peng Zhicheng had just reported the events of last night at Dingyuan Fort to the Executive Committee, and the formal discussion phase had begun.

All eleven members of the Executive Committee were present, with Ma Qianzu presiding over the meeting and Du Wen serving as the recorder.

"Old Peng has just reported the details of the July 13th incident. How should we handle this matter? Everyone, please share your thoughts and speak freely," Ma Qianzu said, lighting a cigarette.

"Since the organization has arranged for me to take charge of this team, I'll speak first," Xiao Bailang said. "Since the incident has already happened, we should first consider how to deal with it. The daily fishing volume at Dingyuan Fort has already exceeded 3,000 pounds, and 1,500 pounds of various fish products are transported to the center every day, supplementing everyone's nutrition and saving a large amount of grain. The significance is significant, and the contributions are undeniable. We should not be too harsh on our comrades who are working hard outside. Instead, we should increase our support for them. I suggest that various construction materials be prioritized for Dingyuan Fort to ensure its construction and quickly stabilize the situation."

"The construction materials are currently tight. Old Xiao, if we ensure the construction progress of Dingyuan Fort, your dock project will have to be put on hold," Shao Shude reminded him.

"I have no objections. The dock has no ships docking day and night, so this project can be temporarily paused. Of course, the construction of the artillery positions in the dock fort cannot be stopped," Xiao Bailang smiled at Wang Qian.

"The main Indian tribe in Uruguay is the Charrúa," Gao Mo cleared his throat. "I remind everyone that the Charrúa are fierce and cruel, and they enjoy fighting. Since there was a first attack, there will definitely be a second. Everyone must be fully aware of this."

"The Charrúa's base is likely near Big Fish Lake," Jiao Tang, the internal affairs commissioner, said. "Can the Executive Committee organize a reconnaissance and clearance operation along the shores of Big Fish Lake? This thorn should be removed as soon as possible, or it will always be a隐患 (隐患 means a hidden danger or potential threat)."

Listening to Jiao Tang, Peng Zhicheng smiled bitterly. "The security team is so small, and their training and skills are limited. Not to mention clearing out the Charrúa's tribe, even conducting a reconnaissance is difficult. Of course, if the Executive Committee requires it, our army will conduct a reconnaissance."

Everyone was momentarily speechless.

"I think we should do this. The dock project will be put on hold, and the construction materials will be transferred to the Dingyuan Fort project. Let's decide on this first," Ma Qianzu said, seeing the silence. "Since we don't have the confidence to eliminate the Charrúa's base, we should strengthen our own defenses. After all, the view at Dingyuan Fort is open, and the transportation is convenient. It won't be easy for the Charrúa to cause trouble. Once the fort is built, no matter what they do, we will be in an invincible position."

This point had already been agreed upon, so there were no objections.

"Since there are no issues with this, let's move on to the next point," Ma Qianzu continued. "Is the current 25-person编制 (编制 means the official establishment or roster) of the Dingyuan Fort guard team sufficient? What is the quality and equipment level of these 25 people?"

"It's not optimistic," Peng Zhicheng said thoughtfully. "Of these 25 people, only a few Swiss immigrants have mercenary experience and can fight. The rest are volunteers who signed up on their own, and they are at most physically strong and healthy, but they lack professional skills."

"Then we need to strengthen their training," Ma Qianzu said. "Old Peng, don't be afraid of hard work. Make more trips there. Also, select some experienced veterans from the security team to train them. Of course, they are only 25 people, and we can't rely on them entirely. The construction team, fish product factory workers, and logistics personnel also need to be trained. They should practice in their spare time, and we don't require them to be very skilled, but at least they should know how to aim and shoot. The new full-body armor and small cannons from the weapons workshop will be prioritized for Dingyuan Fort. I don't believe the Charrúa have three heads and six arms. As long as they dare to come, we will make them pay."

Ma Qianzu's words were reasonable, and there were no objections. The meeting continued.

"Besides these two points, I also want to say that our comrades at Dingyuan Fort are risking their lives to provide us with living resources. For their spirit of dedication, I think the Executive Committee should reward them both spiritually and materially," Ma Qianzu continued. "I suggest that comrades working at Dingyuan Fort receive double points, and the events of last night be commended throughout the area. Especially the Swiss immigrants who were injured and killed, I suggest they be heavily rewarded. Commissioner Xiao, do these two have any relatives here?"

"Yes," Civil Affairs Commissioner Xiao Mingli nodded. "Dennis Helwig, who was killed, has a wife and a daughter. His wife works as a laborer in the livestock bureau, and his daughter is in school. Christoph Grot, who was injured, has a sister who works in the agriculture bureau."

"A funeral should be held for the deceased, and the injured should be visited. They and their families should be immediately granted the status of free citizens. Also, Old Jin, have the agriculture department sign formal labor contracts with their families. Helwig's daughter should be given preferential treatment, with her meal allowance increased by one level, and she should be given priority in evaluations for outstanding students and scholarships." Ma Qianzu spoke rapidly, and everyone could only nod in agreement.

"Chairman Ma's points hit the key issues. I would like to add one point," Judicial Commissioner Bai Siwen said. "Comrade Lin Youde, who is responsible for security at Dingyuan Fort, was negligent before the attack and did not prepare a detailed contingency plan for a possible attack, causing some chaos. I believe that Comrade Lin Youde may have been negligent in his work. I suggest that the Executive Committee investigate Comrade Lin Youde."

This statement caused a moment of silence. Everyone knew that Lin Youde was Xiao Bailang's trusted subordinate, and going against Lin Youde was going against Xiao Bailang. And going against Xiao Bailang was going against Chairman Ma...

However, since an Executive Committee member had raised a question about Lin Youde's work with sufficient reason, the necessary procedures must be followed. After a brief discussion, a joint investigation team from the Army Department, the Judicial Department, and the Internal Affairs Department was quickly formed. The investigation team would set out for Dingyuan Fort the next day to focus on whether Lin Youde had been negligent and made command errors during the "July 13th incident."

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